Watch This: The Other Boleyn Girl (2003)

Another Other Boleyn Girl

Wish I had a dollar for every Henry VIII movie I’ve watched. This version of Philippa Gregory’s best seller deviates from the book, so I’ll review it on its own merits.

What I liked:
The costumes and scenery.
The casting – it’s refreshing to watch lesser known actors in such familiar roles.
The portrayal of Henry as less megalomanic and somewhat more human in his relationships with men and women alike.
The portrayal of Anne as every bit the match of any male courtier who schemed and plotted for advancement.
The understated treatment of the execution of Anne Boleyn.

What I did not like:
The weasel-y characterization of George Boleyn and the absence of his wife in the plot.
The omission of Cardinal Wolsey as a major player in Anne’s drama.
The depiction of the incest between Anne and George as a documented fact.
The absence of others who undoubtedly masterminded Anne’s downfall.
The “video-diary” monologues, used as summary shortcuts.

Like many made-for-TV movies, The Other Boleyn Girl could have been better, but it also could have been worse. (Like its 2008 big screen counterpart.) I’d watch this version again, even without the dollar.

American Myths: The Real Betsy Ross

Betsy Ross made the very first American flag at her home in Philadelphia, at the request of none other than George Washington. Or did she? Here’s the real story

Themed Reading Challenge 2009: Finis!

Well, I did it. Finished my entire booklist, on time,  for the Themed Reading Challenge. My theme was “Fiction and/or nonfiction set in Europe”. It’s a good thing that and/or proviso was in there, because only one of my books ended up being nonfiction. It’s not that I haven’t read any other  nonfiction this year;  I have, but none of those have been set in Europe.  All titles have been reviewed, and can been accessed on this blog by clicking on book reviews under categories. Anyhow, here’s the link to the original challenge post. The books are also listed in the left sidebar, until the end of 2009. This was fun, and I’d like to thank Caribousmom for sponsoring it.  Now I’m going to set my sites on completing the Art History Challenge, which you can also see in the left sidebar.

Songs That Get Stuck in Your Head

Does this ever happen to you? C’mon, of course it does. Last night, trying to get to sleep, and round and round in my head, I kept hearing, “All the leaves are brown, and the skies are gray, I been for a walk, on a winter’s dayyyyyy.” In waking life, I don’t think I’ve heard that song in years. And I don’t know where it came from last night, but there it was, keeping me awake for at least a couple of hours. On other nights, I’ve treated myself to a silent rendition of one of the Beatles’ more obscure tunes, Till There Was You. Didn’t like it then, and like it even less now. “There were bells on the hill, but I never heard them ringing, no I never heard them at all, till there was you”, in Paul’s voice. Then there’s whatever song is being used in current TV commercials.

Yeah, I know, it could be worse. Actually, it could be a lot worse. Like experiencing chronic nightmares, or not being able to sleep at all, or worrying about something awful, like health problems or something. And I don’t have to work today, , so I didn’t have to haul myself out of bed at dawn’s early light.

Oh, almost forgot, “This is the song that never ends….”

What golden oldies keep you awake at night?

Playing with Words: Anagram Generator

Looking for  a fun and amusing time waster? (Who isn’t?) Click  here, type in your name, and this nifty app will, quick as a wink, produce a list of hundreds of anagrams using all the letters. You might even find a new screen name. For instance, who knew that my name translates to such catchy phrases as ” A plaid coil gun”,  “Idol cuing a pal “,  and the ever popular “Lilac Guano Dip.” For now I’ll stick with “katknit”, but you may find the perfect anagram to suit your needs (whatever those might be).

Have fun! (Hint: you may want to close your door if you’re supposed to be working.)

Archaeology News: Oldest Known Image of St. Paul

In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano Monday, June 29, 2009, a fresco showing what Vatican officials say is the oldest known icon of St Paul, discovered by the Pontificial Commission of Sacred Archeology in the Catacomb of Santa Tecla in Rome on June 19, 2009. Archaeologists recently unearthed and opened the white marble sarcophagus located under the Basilica of St. Paul’s outside the Walls of the Vatican in Rome, and scientific tests indicate the mortal remains probably belong to the apostle St. Paul.

(AP Photo/L’Osservatore Romano, Pontificial Commission of Sacred Archeology)

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Basilica of St. Paul, Rome [photo: Sacred Destinations

Monday Morning Poem: Fourth of July Night

by Carl Sandburg

The little boat at anchor in black water sat murmuring to the tall black sky

BBC

A white sky bomb fizzed on a black line.
A rocket hissed it’s red signature into the west.
Now a shower of Chinese fire alphabets,
A cry of flower pots broken in flames,
A long curve to a purple spray, three violet balloons—
Drips of seaweed tangled in gold, shimmering symbols of mixed numbers,
Tremulous arrangements of cream gold folds of a bride’s wedding gown—
A few sky bombs spoke their pieces, then velvet dark.
The little boat at anchor in black water sat murmuring to the tall black sky.

Historical Fiction: The Last Van Gogh, by Alyson Richmond

Giving and taking

Marguerite is 21 when Vincent Van Gogh arrives at her father’s door for medical/psychological treatment. Dr. Gachet practices from his home, so Marguerite has ample opportunity to interact with the artist. She is drawn to Vincent, who is enormously talented but emotionally fragile, and in a very short time, they fall in love, in spite of the disapproval of her father and brother. Their romance is the pivot around which this novel revolves.

What works best in this story is the depiction of the plight of women around the turn of the twentieth century. Dr. Gachet, as portrayed here, is an incredibly selfish man with questionable personal and professional ethics. The life of Marguerite, as well as those of her father’s mistress and illegitimate daughter, are under his absolute control, which he wields with chilling disregard for their own preferences or ambitions. He cultivates artists as patients because it gives him access to their paintings, which he covets and accepts as payment. He makes liberal use of homemade herbal tinctures with limited understanding their pharmacology.

What does not work particularly well is the author’s characterization of Vincent, who in this book serves as the catalyst for Marguerite’s story and not as a fully developed protagonist. His tragic struggle with depression is described rather than shown, and he comes across as more ghostly than vibrant in the scenes in which he is physically present.

The Last Van Gogh is a bittersweet love story, but those wishing to know more about the artist will find little of value here.

Folklore in My Garden: Lavender

Lavender, one of the most beloved of herbs, has been is use for more than 2500 years. The Romans are credited with naming this most aromatic of herbs, some say because of its use in washing (lavare), but others believe it derives from “livendula” (bluish.) I’m inclined to favor the latter theory.  In ancient Greece and India, and also in the Bible, this plant is called spikenard.

Although today, lavender is strongly associated with England , it is not native to northern Europe, but to the warmer climate of the Mediterranean. Originally, it was probably put under domesticate production in Arabia.  In Egypt, Phoenicia, and Arabia, lavender was used as a perfume and for mummification.  It spread from Greece into Europe around 600 BCE. The Romans made use of it in their elaborate baths.  By the early middle ages, washerwomen were known as lavenders, for spreading clothes to dry upon the bushes and for scenting clean clothes in storage. It was during the the same eras that monasteries began cultivating lavender in their “physic gardens”. Hildegard von Bingen made lavender water, a mixture of lavender and gin or brandy, as a remedy for migraine.

Much of the folklore surrounding lavender is ancient. Cleopatra is said to have worn its scent (her secret weapon!) to seduce Julius Caesar and  Marc Antony, and some claim that the asp that delivered that fatal bite was hidden among her lavender bushes. Adam and Eve are credited with bringing the plant with them when expelled from the Garden of Eden. The Bible also tells us that Judith wore perfume containing lavender to charm Holofernes before killing him, and in the Gospel of Luke, Mary washes  the feet of Jesus and anoints them with ointment containing spikenard, one of its other names. According to one story, lavender got its scent from the clothing of  Jesus when his mother hung his clothes on a bush to dry. Many Christians crafted crosses with it to ward off evil.

A natural insect repellant, lavender was pressed into use as a plague antidote , worn in bunches tied to one’s wrists. (It probably repelled the fleas whose bites caused plague.) After robbing graves, thieves washed up with a concoction called “Four Thieves Vinegar”, to protect themselves from contagion. In France, it was noted that glovers, who perfumed their products with the herb, never contracted cholera. In the New World, the Quakers were the first to cultivate and sell lavender.

European royalty made lavish use of lavender in perfumes and foods. It has long been associated with love. In Tudor times, young maidens would sip on  lavender tea and say, “St Luke, St Luke, be kind to me. In my dreams, let me my true love see.”  Alpine girls would tuck some lavender under their lover’s pillow to foster romantic thoughts; once married they would put some lavender under the mattress to ensure marital passion and avoid quarrels. In England during the 1670’s, a love song emerged that survives in varying forms to this day:

Lavenders green, Diddle, diddle,  Lavenders blue

You must love me, diddle, diddle, cause I love you,

I heard one say, diddle, diddle, since I came hither,

That you and I, diddle, diddle, must lie together.

The modern version can be heard here.

Because of lavender’s purported ability to repel evil, it was (is) often used, especially as incense,  around Midsummer’s Day, in conjunction with St. John’s Wort. Cleopatra notwithstanding, girls who wore lavender sprigs on their persons were supposed by be well able to preserve their chastity. In magic, witches are said to prize the herb for its ability to increase clairvoyance, and a mixture  chamomile , lavender, mugwort, and rose petals will attract sprites, fairies, brownies, and elves.

Lavender has brought color and fragrance into our lives since time immemorial. Today there are over 115 species cultivated all over the world, and lavender products are inexpensive and readily available. Bring the charm of this ancient plant into your own life.

Historical Fiction: Bleeding Heart Square, by Andrew Taylor

Virginia Woolf would approve

London socialite Lydia Langstone takes refuge from her abusive husband with her estranged father, who resides at number 7, Bleeding Heart Square. Her new surroundings are daunting to one accustomed to a life of privilege. The landlord, Joseph Serridge, takes quite an interest in Lydia, even setting her up in her first ever job. Among the tenants is Rory Wentworth, an unemployed journalist engaged to the niece of the building’s now missing previous owner. Rory has been poking his nose into Serridge’s past,  at the behest of a local bobby who has a grudge against Serridge and is trying to pin a murder on him.

The atmosphere of this multi-layered novel is instantly set by the delivery to number 7 of a decaying animal heart wrapped in brown paper. The year is 1935, in the midst of the depression, and England is struggling to recover from the aftereffects of WWI. Local Fascists are trying to gain control of England’s government, and they are not averse to using violence. The seedy neighborhood and a myriad of slightly creepy characters contribute to the sense of menace, and chapter by chapter, the suspense ratchets up a notch. Lydia is slowly drawn into the action, only gradually realizing how much of her life till now has been heavily wrapped in secrets.

Author Taylor has been compared to Dickens, a comparison that is apt. Taylor is a skilled writer, deft with dialogue and description. His plot device here, that of an unknown reader perusing the victim’s diary, sustains the mystery and increases apprehension to the very last page. Don’t miss it.